Scales and Silver
by D.K.N
Summary: After having nasty fallings-out with Rarity and Diamond Tiara, respectively, Spike and Silver Spoon each wander the town to clear their heads, and end up running into each other. Deciding to hang out together, the two develop a friendship that may be more
1. Blowout

Well, while I try to chip away the writer's block that's got _Teana's Travels _held up, let's try this plot-bunny that came to my mind one night while I was trying (unsuccessfully) to fall asleep.

DISCLAIMER: _My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic _is not mine; it is the property of Hasbro. I make no money off of this fic.

**-**_**STORY START**_**-**

Under the mid-afternoon Sun, Spike was wheezing lightly from exertion as he hauled the heavy wagon loaded with gems, trying his best to keep in step behind Rarity, who walked directly ahead of him, carrying a measly five gems. Uncharacteristically, Spike was presently _not _happy to be helping Rarity. In fact, at the moment he was practically fuming. However, she had not noticed this. He bit back a grumble as he watched her walking ahead of him, lost in her own thoughts.

The seeds of his discontent had been planted by Discord several weeks earlier, when the daemonic chimera had paid a visit to the young dragon after breaking Twilight and before the flood of messages from Celestia started up. Though Spike had been able to shrug off or rebuff most of Discord's taunts and words, one thing had stuck with him: Discord's suggestion that Rarity not only didn't love him, but that she was using his love for her to get him to do things for her for free – abusing and taking advantage of his feelings for her own personal benefit. After outlining "support" for his argument, Discord had left, and the wave of messages had stopped Spike from thinking about the subject for a while afterward. But once the celebrations after the daemon's re-sealing were done, Spike couldn't help but dwell on what the abomination had said.

And, over the course of the next weeks, Spike found the thoughts coming more and more, sounding ever less ridiculous, the "evidence" piling up, and each time he saw Rarity that familiar warmth in his heart felt a little less. Today, deep down inside him, that spark was on its last, dying flickers. Lately, Spike had needed to put quite some effort into convincing himself that he still had a chance, that she still cared for him, that she wasn't just using him. Digging through mounds of rock in the hot Sun, working his whole body to achy exhaustion, only to always get a pat on the head, a "Spikey-wikey", a small handful of gems, and Rarity's near-automatic "Such a little gentleman" compliment.

The straw was piled up, and the camel's back couldn't take much more.

They now reached Carousel Boutique. Rarity, distracted by the thought of the big order she had to fulfill by next week, telekinetically opened the door, but in her distraction she let it go before Spike and the wagon he was towing were all the way through, the closing door hitting the back of the wagon and knocking Spike over, a few gems spilling to the ground.

"Do be careful, please, Spike" Rarity said. "Could you take those and put them over by the window?"

Spike's response was an inarticulate grumble as he picked himself up. Fluttershy, who had been waiting for Rarity inside, flinched as she briefly caught sight of the look in Spike's eyes as he began picking up the dropped gems and carrying them while pulling the wagon with his tail. A knock on the door precluded any further thoughts on the matter, however. Rarity pranced over to the door, opening it to reveal the other four girls.

"What brings you all here?" she asked.

"We wanted to see if you'd like to check out the new park downtown with us" Twilight replied as she, AJ, Dash, and Pinkie walked in.

"Ooh, I have been wanting to see what that place would look like upon completion" Rarity said. "I heard they brought in some very rare trees that produce some beautiful flowers…"

Pinkie suddenly found her whole body jittering, her Pinkie Sense going into overdrive.

"Woah!" she said. "There's a doozy coming!"

"Where?" Twilight asked.

"Here! The boutique!"

The other girls began looking around nervously.

"You're welcome, Rarity" Spike said in a deadpan tone from the window area, where he'd finally managed to haul the loaded wagon.

"Sorry, Spike. Thank you for the help."

As Spike headed for the door, Rarity walked over to him, presenting him with a single gem – a ruby no bigger than his fist. She reached out and patted him on the head.

"Such a little gentleman…"

*SNAP*

As Rarity walked back over to the girls and began chatting with them, Spike felt something inside him break. The ever-present warmth in his heart that popped up whenever he was with Rarity was gone; in its place was a cold, empty void, along with a sudden surge of burning anger building up within him, ready to explode outward. The girls kept chattering, but he couldn't hear them. All he could hear was his own seething breath, his heartbeat pounding in his ears, and the sounds of cracks as his grip on the ruby tightened more and more.

'She never loved you and never will'

'You're just a tool to her'

'She's been using you'

'Search your feelings, My Little Dragon' the memory of Discord's voice echoed in his head. 'You know it to be true.'

Spike's teeth grinded, his fangs bared in a vicious grimace. His green eyes had a slight glow to them, and he could almost feel flames building up in the back of his throat. His claws began to sink into the ruby held in his ever-tightening fist. Nearby, Opalescence, watching the dragon, flattened her ears in fear and then hid under the nearby table, her instincts screaming at her to get away from the angry predator lest she be consumed by the Killing Intent building within him.

'_No more_'

The girls were startled out of their conversation by the sudden loud sound of something shattering, the ruby having finally failed under the pressure it was being subjected to. They looked over to the source.

"Spike, wha- WOAH!"

Rainbow Dash jumped back and had to quash an instinct to fly and flee from the look on the little dragon's face. His clawed feet dug into the tile floor, and his tail thrashed around as the air immediately around him shimmered from the heat he was giving off. The six girls stared in shock and a little fear, having never seen Spike – or _anyone _– look so angry.

"S-Sp-Spike?" Rarity whispered, shock tainting her voice. "W-What is-"

"**SHUT UP!-!**"

The shout was magically amplified by Spike's until-now-dormant inherent Dragon-Magic, loud enough that the windows and anything loose rattled with it. It was considerably deeper than Spike's normal voice (though still within his prepubescent vocal range… barely). It was accompanied by a _large _burst of emerald fire that came within five feet of the six girls. And it came with a sudden wave of Killing Intent that had the girls instinctively cowering. Fluttershy let out a short scream of terror, the animal part of her brain finally recognizing Spike as a "Dragon! Run away!-!", and she hid behind Applejack, trembling. Opalescence bolted out from under the table and ran up the stairs as fast as she could, fearing for her life.

"You…" he spoke with a growl, glaring at the frightened Rarity. "You scheming, black-hearted, selfish, manipulative bitch. All I've done – all I _ever _do for you – is going to _stop_. _Right _here, _right __**now**_! Digging through ultra-hard rock in the hot Sun for hours on end, hauling huge, hundreds-of-pounds loads of gems while _you _prance along with no more than half a pound of them, throwing myself at your feet to please you, watching you in shop traipsing about, stepping over and occasionally _on _me, sitting through your sleep-inducing monologues on current fashion… _And for what?-!_"

He pointed a clawed finger at her, and the claw was wreathed in green flames. As he continued to speak, tiny bursts of flame from his throat began to accompany some of the syllables.

"Being ignored, looked over, dismissed, sent off with a casual pat on the head like I'm some _pet_ and half as much gems as needed to even qualify as a light snack! I… I _thought _I loved you. All this time… ever since I first laid eyes on you, I had feelings for you. And you _used them to get me to do whatever you wanted!-!_ I've tried to convince myself that I had a chance, that maybe, if I did enough for you, you'd start to return those feelings, to care for me as I did for you. …But I was _wrong_. What he told me, on that day… Discord was right!-! Everything he said to me about me and you was dead-on! I'm nothing more than a _tool _to you! A _slave_!-! What better cheap labor force than to use a man's honest feelings to take advantage of him, _huh_?-! Well, _**no more**_!-! I am _**done **_**with you**!-! I can see now that falling in love with you was the _stupidest _decision I have _ever _made!"

The force of the Killing Intent Spike was giving off increased further, yet when he next spoke it was with an eerie, deadly calm, the slightest hint of a flanging reverb that was far too deep for any creature of Spike's size to naturally make; the sign that a dragon had entered the absolute pinnacle of disgusted anger and… hatred.

"The warm spark I used to feel in my heart when I looked at you is gone now. Instead, now there is a cold… black… _void_. I will not be your thankless servant anymore. I do not love you anymore, Rarity. I never will again, and I wish I never did. In fact, right now just looking at you makes me feel cold and sick inside. Quite frankly, I would prefer if I never have to speak to or even see you ever again. You'll have to find a new love-struck sucker to push around as your slave. I am _out_."

With that, Spike turned around, opened the door, and pulled it shut with such force that the doorframe splintered and cracked, and the whole building shook. The six girls stood stock-still, too shocked and horrified to even move. After several seconds, there was a soft thud as Rarity's rear legs gave out from under her, leaving her in a seated position, still staring at the door, her eyes wide. Her whole body was trembling, it felt hard to breathe, and tears started to fall from her horror-struck eyes.

Pinkie, her mane and tail deflated, stuttered out "Th-That was certainly a doozie…"

**-**_**SCENE BREAK**_**-**

**Just outside Ponyville Elementary**

**Same time as Spike's meltdown**

"I can't believe you would do such a thing, Diamond!"

Silver Spoon's voice was louder than it had ever been, filled with shock, outrage, and anger. Always, she had been Diamond Tiara's faithful friend/lackey, going with whatever the pink-furred filly did or said. She did this to stay in the girl's good graces, as she considered Diamond to be her only friend. Truthfully, Silver had always felt that there had to be some goodness deep inside Diamond, and that if she worked hard and long enough she'd be able to uncover it. After all, she had plenty of experience from picking out treasure within trash – finding the "diamond in the rough" – thanks to helping out occasionally at the antique appraisal shop her mother worked at. Failing that, she'd at least be able to keep the aggressive, arrogant girl from getting any 'worse' or crossing any serious lines.

But today, after the horrible thing Diamond Tiara had done, enough to reduce Scootaloo – the school tough-girl – to tears, she now believed she had been utterly wrong.

"I've stood by and watched while you've done plenty of reprehensible things," the silver-furred filly angrily glared at her 'friend', "but that was just too far!"

"Why do you even care?-!" Diamond Tiara yelled back. "What does it matter what happens to those blank-flanks? And besides, you've never objected to anything I've done or said before this!"

"Because you've never done something so horrible! That seriously crossed a line, Diamond! I expected better from you than such base cruelty!"

"Why would you even care what happens to a _blank_?-! You're always joining me whenever I torment them!"

"I don't _care _whether or not their flanks are blank! I _never did_! I've just pretended to so that you would stay my friend! To me, they aren't "blanks". They're _ponies_, just like Nurse Redheart or Rainbow Dash or Ms. Cheerilee or me! I don't think of them as any better or worse than I am!"

"You _lied _to me?-!"

"Because I wanted to keep being your friend! I don't _have _any other friends; I stuck with you and followed your lead so I wouldn't lose you! I always thought… I always thought that if I played my cards right, I could find some goodness inside of you and cultivate it, bring it out. I wouldn't let you become the type of vapid, shallow, superficial, heartless snob that so many rich ponies grow up to be. And I really thought that I was succeeding. … Until today, when you did something absolutely heinous and _unforgivable_! After what you did, I'm ashamed to know you right now!"

Diamond was unable to come up with a retort, anger and shock wrestling with each other inside her, preventing any words from coming out.

"I have always hoped to find that little bit of goodness inside your heart," Silver Spoon continued, "because everyone has that; Discord is the only being who lacks any good or light in his heart. …Or so I thought. All this time, I've been wondering why it was so hard to find your light. But now, after today, I realize… It's because it was never there to begin with, or if it was it has long since been swallowed up by darkness. You've crossed lines that no-one should cross. You've taken pleasure in the anger and sadness and pain of others. You broke a little pegasus filly's heart, humiliated her, drove the toughest girl in school to uncontrollable tears, and then laughed at her pain and suffering. All because she is different from you and hasn't yet discovered her Special Talent. …You may have 'diamond' in your name, but your heart is as black as an ugly lump of coal. And I cannot associate with someone like that. You were my only friend… but having a 'friend' who is poisonous and black-hearted and cruel is worse than having no friends at all."

She gave a long, sad sigh, and she looked upon the pink-furred filly with weary resignation and disappointment.

"Goodbye, Diamond Tiara. You've made one more pony who is different from you sad and upset with your actions. I hope you are happy."

And with that, Silver Spoon got up, turned around, and briskly walked away, heading toward the town. Diamond Tiara was all alone. Her whole body trembled, and her face contorted in a variety of churning emotions. Shortly after Silver Spoon disappeared from sight, Diamond let out, at the top of her lungs, a long, loud cry of anger, frustration, fury, pain… and just a little sadness. There was a blur of motion as she yanked the jeweled tiara from atop her head and hurled it against the nearest tree as hard as she could; it shattered on impact. She fell backwards into a sitting position, head hanging low, and despite everything she had, all the anger and willpower and turmoil, she couldn't stop a tear from falling.

Behind a tree a short ways away, the three Cutie-Mark Crusaders – Scootaloo's eyes still red from crying earlier – ducked back behind the tree, all three of them in open-mouthed shock. Cautiously, they snuck away, heading toward the town, away from Diamond Tiara, who was still fighting to stop herself from crying – a fight she was slowly losing.

**-**_**SCENE BREAK**_**-**

Half an hour later, Spike wandered aimlessly through the streets of Ponyville. He felt a bizarre mixture of emotions. He felt the burning anger at Rarity deep inside him, like flames that not even an ocean could put out. He felt the cold, numb void where his misplaced "love" for her used to be. He felt lighter, like a huge weight had been lifted off of him. He felt concern that he may have frightened Fluttershy too much by accident. He felt…

He felt a sudden flash of pain combined with something soft yet unyielding, and then felt himself hit the ground as he bounced off of whatever he ran into. He rubbed the back of his head, and then looked to see what he'd hit. A gray-furred earth-pony filly with silver-and-white hair groaned as she shook the cobwebs out of her head. On the ground in front of her lay a pair of blue-framed glasses. Wordlessly, Spike reached forward, picked the glasses up, and placed them in the filly's forelimbs; she quickly put them back on her face, her violet eyes now open.

"Are you alright?" Spike asked. "Sorry I ran into you; my mind was… elsewhere."

"Y-Yeah, same here" the girl replied. "Had a whole lot on my mind."

"I know the feeling" Spike said.

"You're… Spike, right? Twilight Sparkle's assistant?"

"Yep, that's me. What's your name?"

"I'm Silver Spoon."

"Nice to meet ya, Silver. …You look kinda down."

"I could say the same to you, Spike. Mind telling me what's got your tail in a knot?"

"Only if you tell me your story, too."

"Fair enough."

The two went over to a nearby bench in the shade, sitting next to each other. And they began to talk. Spike went first, explaining the long and ugly situation regarding Rarity, how Discord's casual attempt to mess with him had led him to see the deep and disheartening truth. When he finished, Silver put a hoof on his shoulder.

"She shouldn't have used you like that" she said. "No-one should use someone else like that. It's probably a good thing you gave up on her; from what I can tell, you definitely deserve someone better than that. You're too good a guy to have to put up with that kind of thing."

"Thanks, Silver. Now… what's your story?"

"Well… Her name is Diamond Tiara…"

After another lengthy explanation, Silver Spoon rested her head against the bench, eyes closed as she finished up, breathing deeply as she worked to control her emotions. She involuntarily flinched and gasped as she felt a warm hand rest on her shoulder, one eye cracking open and looking at Spike, who looked back at her with understanding.

"It seems we're pretty much in the same boat, aren't we?" he asked.

"Y-Yeah" she replied, wondering why in the world she was reacting in such a way.

"So… Um… Do you… maybe wanna hear anything else about me? About my life?" the young dragon asked her, fidgeting ever so slightly.

"I'd… like that, I believe" Silver said, a little smile gracing her features.

Over the next several hours, Silver Spoon and Spike talked about pretty much everything under the Sun. They talked of their respective lives, of their families – how Spike was hatched by Twilight, and how Celestia and Twilight's parents raised him and her together, about Silver Spoon's distant yet still loving mother and her doting father; they told little tales of their various little adventures; they talked about favorite things, favorite foods, favorite games, favorite books. Silver confessed her "sins" regarding how she'd gone along with Diamond's bullying of the Crusader Trio, and how she regretted letting herself get pulled along for so long. Spike talked about everything he'd gone through since he & Twilight moved to Ponyville.

As they talked, and the day wore on, the two of them found themselves gradually feeling odd yet not-unpleasant feelings. They found themselves trusting each other quite readily, and frequently moving in close to each other. Spike felt an odd warmth starting to grow in his chest, and the back of his mind dimly recognized it as what he used to feel whenever he was with Rarity. Whenever the two made eye contact or she stared at him for too long, Silver Spoon felt her cheeks heating up and her heart fluttering in a not-at-all-unpleasant way.

By now the Sun was setting, and the air was cooling. A cool breeze blew through the area. From Spike's point of view, the Sun was setting behind Silver Spoon, casting her in a warm glow. Combined with the wind moving through her hair, and her facial expression of a shy little smile and half-lidded eyes looking at him, the sight made his eyes widen and his heart pick up speed a little. Suddenly, a leaf blown by the wind hit the back of Silver's neck. She let out a quick shriek and lunged forward, instinctively latching onto Spike, her forelimbs wrapping around him as her heart raced from the sudden surprise, while his arms automatically came up around her torso, resting on her back. Both of them, upon gathering themselves, looked up at each other, their faces only inches away. Both of them found themselves blushing, staring into each other's eyes. Another cold wind blew by, and Silver huddled herself closer to Spike, burying her face in his shoulder, her forelimbs holding onto him a little tighter. Spike found himself holding her closer, not fully understanding why yet most definitely okay with it.

"You're warm" she whispered. "It's cold out here, but your body is warm. It's…nice…"

"Dragons are warm-blooded, and our core temperature's a little higher than that of ponies" he absent-mindedly explained.

Silver Spoon didn't say anything; she found herself snuggling up against him, face red from the blush but also feeling content and happy. They stayed like that for a little while, until the Sun had disappeared below the horizon.

"We should… probably get home now" Spike said reluctantly. "Our families are probably worried about us."

"You're right" Silver replied, as she slowly pulled away from him. "Maybe… we can hang out tomorrow, though?" she asked with hope in her voice.

"Yeah" Spike said. "That sounds good. We'll meet here, right?"

"Of course."

As she turned to walk away, Silver Spoon gave in to a little compulsion. She turned back to Spike and, blushing, kissed him on the cheek. As he stood in shock, hand to his face, she giggled and ran off, heading home. After about a minute, the young dragon began heading home as well.

**-**_**SCENE BREAK**_**-**

The Ponyville Central Library was dark, except from the candlelight that Twilight was reading by, her attention wholly occupied by the books in front of her. Spike quietly opened the door and, seeing his mother-figure distracted, softly made his way up the stairs.

"Spike?"

He froze mid-step, and his head slowly turned to look down at Twilight, who was giving him her best "stern parent" expression.

"Where have you been all day?" she asked.

Spike decided to be truthful. "About 20 minutes of fuming followed by several hours hanging out and talking with this girl I met today."

Twilight quirked an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Yeah, she's about my age, maybe a year younger. We talked about… well, pretty much everything. Turns out she had a nasty falling-out with her only 'friend' earlier today," he said the word "friend" with finger-quotes, "and ran into me – literally; I helped her up afterwards, of course. She said about her ex-friend that 'it's better to have no friends at all than to have only one friend when that lone friend is poisonous, black-hearted, and cruel'. …I can relate with her, honestly. And… we ended up, well…" he blushed lightly.

"Yes~?"

"By the end of it, we… couldn't really stop looking at each other. She'd stare at me and get this cute little blush, and she'd be smiling at me; she looked pretty whenever she smiled. And… you know that old "spark of warmth in my chest" feeling I used to get from Rarity? The one that went cold and dark after I figured everything out? Well… hanging out with this girl, I… I think I'm getting it again. And I think she's getting it, too." He smiled. "Well, I've been through a lot today. I think I'm gonna go to bed a little early. Good night."

As the little dragon headed up to the bedroom, Twilight couldn't bring herself to talk to him about the incident with Rarity. She'd discuss it with him some other time, but right now her little friend looked happier than he had in weeks. She'd let him have this.

**-**_**SCENE BREAK**_**-**

A little later that night, as Silver Spoon was in her room preparing for bed, she was constantly going over the day's events in her mind. Every time she thought about Spike, she felt the pleasant little flutter inside her.

"What's going on with me?" she muttered to herself as she undid her braids, letting her mane fall free. "I've heard ponies talk about this, but… is this really _that _kind of feeling? …I need to test it out."

After placing her necklace on her nightstand, she walked over to the big mirror placed on her bedroom door, looking at herself. She took a deep breath, and focused on those three words, trying to say them to herself and see what happened.

"I… I l-love…. S… Sp-Spike…"

Immediately her face went beet-red, and her breath almost caught in her throat as her heart pounded. Gathering herself, she said it again.

"I… I love Spike…"

This time her whole body suddenly felt lighter, and a wonderful warmth spread from her chest and face to the rest of her. An adorable little smile came up as the epiphany hit.

"I love Spike…"

Now, just saying that sentence made her heart nearly soar, and her eyes lit up. She said it a few more times, affirming herself. When that was done, she turned the lights out and walked over to her big, soft bed, giggling girlishly from the emotional euphoria she now felt. After taking off her glasses and putting them with her necklace, she crawled into bed and laid down, a big smile still on her face.

**-**_**CHAPTER END**_**-**

One thing I am preemptively making clear; this is NOT a Rarity-bashing fic. In fact, Spike was wrong about most or all of what he accused her of; consider it a combination of his natural suspiciousness and the lingering effect of Discord's attempt to break him, combined with Rarity accidentally and unwittingly sending the wrong signals. We tropers call it "Poor Communication Kills".


	2. Guilt

I might as well finish getting this plot-bunny out while it's still fresh.

See Chapter 1 for series disclaimer

The names of Silver Spoon's (unseen here) parents, as well as Diamond Tiara's parents' names and her mother's situation (though that last one is less severe here than in the about-to-be-mentioned source), are taken from Alexwarlorn's **Pony POV Series **on Deviant-Art, which I quite obviously do not own but highly encourage you all to read, for it is very awesome

**-**_**CHAPTER START**_**-**

The day after the incidents at Carousal Boutique and Ponyville Elementary was the first day of a seven-day stretch of no school. The Crusaders were at their clubhouse, where Scootaloo had stayed the night.

"I'm worried, girls" Sweetie Belle said. "Rarity hasn't even come out of her room since yesterday. Sometimes if I listen close I can hear her crying in there. Something terrible must've happened to her."

"When I came home yesterday," Apple Bloom said, "AJ was kinda shook up about sumthin'. Whatever she saw, I think it scared her just a little."

"Well, you'll never believe what _I _saw yesterday evening" Scootaloo said. "Spike and Silver Spoon sitting on a bench near the old park, hanging out and talking with each other. And it looked like they'd been doing that for _hours_."

Both of the other girls snapped to attention, eyes on Scootaloo.

"Well, from what we heard yesterday," Apple Bloom said, "we know Silver isn't a bad filly. She was just tryin' too hard to hold onto a friend she really shouldn't have been. It sure was a mighty big surprise to learn she never had anythin' against us, though."

"Yeah" Sweetie Belle replied. "It… kinda almost makes me wanna offer to be her friend."

"I'm not done yet, girls" Scootaloo said. "Toward the end, they started acting a little… silly. They were makin' eyes at each other a little, and whenever Silver looked Spike in the eyes she started to blush and get a little fidgety. Then something spooked her and she tackle-hugged him on instinct, like that one time where that caterpillar landed on Bloom's back and she leapt into Sweetie's arms." The two girls looked a little embarrassed at the memory. "And they looked at each other and they stared into each other's eyes for a few seconds in shock, and their faces were red. Also just like the caterpillar incident. But then instead of pulling away, they _stayed_ like that. And then she actually snuggled up to him! And he hugged her back! And when they broke apart and decided to head home, she actually kissed him on the cheek!"

"She kissed him?-!" the other two chorused.

"On the cheek, I said!" Scootaloo replied. "But still… I think those two might actually be falling for each other…"

"Well, golly…" Apple Bloom said. "Spike and Silver Spoon… Ain't that the oddest pairing I ever did hear? …But, wait. I thought Spike had feelin's for Rarity." She looked to Sweetie Belle.

"I thought the same thing" Sweetie Belle said. "It doesn't make… Wait a second. Maybe… Maybe something happened between them, and that's why Rarity's locked herself away crying."

"And that might explain what was botherin' Applejack, too" Bloom added in. "Maybe he went off on her as bad as Silver did on Diamond, or even worse. That could explain why AJ seemed a tad spooked; ain't nothin' scarier than an angry dragon."

Scootaloo suppressed a shiver of revulsion at Apple Bloom's poor choice of words, thanks to that one icky magazine the orange-furred filly had stumbled across outside the town dump while being a Cutie Mark Crusader Crusade Supply Hunter (well, she'd found _a few _of the things in it icky; the rest of the magazine was hidden under the corner floorboard of the treehouse).

"Let's just hope nothing else bad goes on" Sweetie Belle said. "Heaven knows everyone's been through a lot lately."

"…Y'know, I don't think we three have heard from Twilight for a while" Apple Bloom said. "I think she's still ashamed and afraid about what happened when she went loco over stress and deadlines, an' she's ashamed to face us considerin' how we were at the epicenter of the wacky scheme she came up with when she was temporarily off her rocker."

"Maybe we should pay her a quick visit" Scootaloo said, "just to let her know we're not upset with her."

"Yeah, knowing how much of an over-thinking worrywart she can be and how sensitive she gets when she thinks she's hurt someone's feelings…" Sweetie Belle concluded, "Well, from what little I've gathered of her or heard from Rarity."

As the three fillies headed out the door, down the steps, and toward the town, they didn't notice the pink-furred filly who'd been hiding by their window, listening in on the whole thing. Diamond Tiara looked somewhat worse for wear; she'd gotten very little sleep last night, her mind refusing to allow her any solace. That night, she had adamantly refused to explain to her father why she looked so "haunted", and she had also staunchly refused a replacement tiara for the one she'd dashed to pieces against a tree. Now, she had learned that her former friend – once the only constant in her life – had found herself a boyfriend, and one of a different species at that! Shaking her head to try to clear her rampant thoughts, she quietly and carefully made her way down to the ground, and headed off toward town.

**-**_**SCENE BREAK**_**-**

**Hours later**

Two small figures moved around at the edge of the local pond not too far from Fluttershy's cottage, on the grass beneath the trees that lined the water's edge. They had spent the day mostly hanging out together in town; lunch at her favorite slightly-fancy restaurant, and then a stop by Sugarcube Corner for a snack (Pinkie was out doing who-knows-what, but Mr. & Mrs. Cake were always glad to see Spike, while Silver Spoon practically fell in love with their chocolate cupcakes), and now just relaxing for the sake of it by the quiet water. Well, it had _started _as relaxation. During a casual conversation, a friendly shove from Silver had been responded to in kind by Spike, and now the two were laughing as they tumbled around with each other, forgetting their other attachments and just messing around and having fun. Her glasses had been (carefully) discarded, and her mane had come out of the braids it was in, now hanging loose and free.

Silver Spoon gave a cocky grin as she leapt over a swipe of Spike's tail at her legs meant to trip her, and then responded with a tackle that sent them both tumbling, ending with her pinning him to the ground, laying on top of him. Her face was hovering only a couple inches over his, and both of them were panting lightly from their roughhousing. They found themselves staring into each other's eyes, faces going red. She could feel his body heat against her belly, and her heart fluttered as she felt an urge to do something.

"U-Uh…" Spike muttered. "Silvie?"

With that, she gave into the urge, lowering her face down and capturing his lips with her own. He let out a surprised noise at this sudden development, but as she gently cupped his face in her hooves he closed his eyes and kissed back, his arms coming up around her waist and upper back. He was dimly aware of her tail intertwining with his. After nearly a minute, Silver-Spoon pulled away, the both of them gasping for air for several seconds. And then she went right back into it, kissing him again before either could say anything.

After nearly three straight minutes, she finally broke the connection again. Her face was red, her heart was pounding, her head felt light, and she wouldn't trade any of it for the world. Looking each other in the eyes, they didn't say anything. They didn't need to. They spent the next several minutes laying like that in the shade, before Silver finally, slowly crawled off of Spike, helping him to his feet. He led her over to a nearby tree, and then he sat down leaning against it. Rather than sit in the "normal" way for a pony, she leaned back against him, resting the back of her head on his shoulder, exposing the short, soft fur of her belly, her hind legs relaxing and opening as her tail curled up over her stomach to protect her modesty. She let out a happy, content sigh as she felt his arms wrap around her waist, and she relaxed and pressed back against him.

As they spent the next few minutes like this, not saying or doing anything, just enjoying each other's touch and presence, they did not notice three different sneaky rustling patterns through the nearby foliage (who, incidentally, were totally unaware of each other as well), watching and listening out of various types and levels of curiosity. Watching from a clump of hedges nearby, despite feeling some fear of Spike thanks to yesterday's incident, Fluttershy had to suppress a little giggle at such a cute scene, while to her right, Applejack's jaw dropped just a little at the surprising development. On the opposite side, the Crusader Trio watched from inside a bush; Scootaloo mouthed 'told ya' to the other two. The third, lone figure remained hidden, watching and feeling a bizarre mixture of emotions, none of them pleasant.

"It's kinda funny" Silver Spoon suddenly said.

"What is?" Spike asked.

"I'm not complaining at all, but… from an objective viewpoint, my past day or two would look _really weird_. I mean, yesterday, about this time of day, I was wandering around Ponyville after having 'broken up' with the only quote-unquote "friend" I've known for years. And now I'm sitting by a lake, leaning against my young-dragon boyfriend with his arms around my waist, and even though I'm reclining in one of the most embarrassing positions a quadruped mammal can be in, _I don't care_."

"Life's funny that way" he replied.

"Yeah…" She looked downcast for a few seconds.

"What's bothering you, Silvie?"

"It's still kind of hard for me to believe… The situation with Diamond Tiara… She was my only friend for so long. And… I'd always thought she still had some good in her that I could bring out. But after yesterday… I never imagined she could be that cruel! She _had _to have known it was a touchy subject for Scootaloo, to say the least! And even if she didn't know, once she saw the other girl crying she _laughed_! She actually found another girl's anguish _funny_! How can anyone be that black-hearted?-! Just because the pegasus doesn't have her Cutie Mark yet! …How can Tiara live with herself?-! …I remember when I first met her when we were three years old, back when her mother was still around. She was a tad spoiled, but she seemed to have a dash of empathy and goodness back then. But after the incident when she was five, she's gotten worse and worse over the years. The sweet little girl who listened to her mama and shared her candy with the other kindergarteners is long, long gone. Now… she's nothing but a vicious, black-hearted monster whose only concern is herself and her own selfish and cruel enjoyments. I guess… that her mother was the only thing keeping her good, and when she was taken out of the equation she took Diamond's kindness, empathy, and love with her. Now there's nothing good left in her."

Several seconds later, everyone else present failed to notice the third party's quiet but hasty retreat, the pink-furred filly not wholly understanding why tears were streaming down her face as she ran as fast and as far away from the area as possible.

"Come on, Silvie" Spike said soothingly as he used a claw/hand to slowly and gently rub/scratch her belly, resulting in a giggle and a light pleased moan from her. "Let's not focus on the negative stuff right now. This is relaxation time, right?"

"Mmmm… You're right…" she leaned her head back and kissed him, using her tail to "pin" his hands to her. "I just wish I could – a bit higher, please – make it up to the Crusaders, though. All the things I did under Diamond's influence. I'm not sure I can, though."

"Why can't you?" Spike asked, slowing his hand's actions so she could focus more.

"I…" she looked pensive. "I think I'm… scared…"

"Of what?"

"Of everything. What if they think I was in league with what Diamond did? What if they already hate me, and consider me as bad as her? What if they attack me as soon as they see me before I can explain things? What if they convince the townsfolk to hate me? …And I know what I'm about to say sounds bizarre, but… I'm always seeing those three together, and when they're together they don't care about anything else other than having fun with each other. I… I wanna be part of that. I've felt… a bit jealous and sad that I never really did that kind of thing with Diamond Tiara. I guess what I'm saying is that… I want… I want to be… their f-friend…"

"Silver…"

"But I know I can't! I've stood by and let too much happen! They already associate me with all that bullying and stuff! They'll never accept me! It's… It's too late for that…" she finished with a whimper.

"No it ain't"

Spike and Silver Spoon jumped a little, startled; Silver spun around in Spike's grip, her front to his back, limbs and tail wrapped around him as she clung to him in surprised fear, heart pounding. The two watched as the Crusader Trio came out and walked up to them.

"H-Hi, girls" Spike said a tad nervously, his arms protectively holding Silver Spoon to him.

"Hey, Spike" Sweetie Belle replied. "We're not gonna hurt her."

"Y-You're not?" Silver Spoon squeaked out.

"We heard your 'lament' just now" Scootaloo said calmly.

"An' we also heard y'all chewin' Diamond Tiara out yesterday" Apple Bloom added. "Course, that'un was pretty dang loud; hard _not _to hear, even if we hadn't been hidin' behind a tree nearby."

"So… you… don't hate me?" Silver asked in a quiet voice as she slowly detached herself from Spike.

"Not after everything that's happened" Sweetie Belle replied. "You're not a bad filly, Silver Spoon. You just made a few not-so-good decisions and assumptions. But you have a good heart; that's gotten pretty plain to see the last couple of days."

"I guess what we're sayin' is…" Apple Bloom said. "We wouldn't mind callin' you our friend."

A look of shock came over Silver Spoon's face, but her eyes lit up with yet-unexpressed joy.

"I knew they wouldn't hold it against you" Spike said.

A small smile that spoke volumes finally appeared on the gray-furred filly's face, and she whispered "Thank you". The quintet spent the next hour talking together.

**-**_**SCENE BREAK**_**-**

As the Sun was setting, Twilight Sparkle cheerfully moved about within her library. Several hours earlier, she had become uneasy with guilt when the Crusaders showed up on her doorstep, but then they talked to her, somehow knowing exactly why she seemed so on edge, and they eased her fears and guilt and leaving her conscience cleared. They had then headed off into town, saying they had "investigating" to do. Her thoughts on the day's events up to that point were interrupted by the sound of the front door opening.

"Hey, Twilight! I'm home!"

Hearing Spike's voice, Twilight headed for the main room… only to see that Spike had brought company: a little gray-furred filly with white and silver mane, blue-framed glasses and a silvery necklace, along with a Cutie Mark of a silver-and-white spoon with a red heart in the handle. She shuffled her forelimbs awkwardly.

"Oh? And who is this?" Twilight asked in a friendly tone.

"This is Silver Spoon" Spike replied. "She's… um… She's… my…"

As the young dragon blushed and stammered, Silver shut him up and made things clear to Twilight by walking up to and kissing him. After a few seconds, she pulled away and turned to Twilight.

"I'm his girlfriend" she said bluntly, her face a tad red.

"I can see that" Twilight replied with a sly grin. "So what brings you here?"

"I wanted to introduce her to you" Spike said to Twilight. "And I was wondering if maybe she could stay for dinner… and maybe for the night?"

Twilight arched an eyebrow at Spike at that last bit.

"Hey, we're not gonna do _that _kinda stuff" Spike said, raising his hands up. "That's not for a while. Neither of us are even teenagers yet! We don't even _have _those kinds of urges yet!"

"Besides," Silver Spoon added, "wouldn't the fact that we're of different species mean that there'd be no risk of-"

"Not helping, Silvie."

"Sorry, Spike. Shutting up."

Twilight thought for several seconds, and then nodded in approval, and the two kids successfully suppressed the urge to jump for joy (hey, they have _some _dignity). The rest of the evening/night was quite pleasant as the three talked, Twilight lending a sympathetic ear to Silver Spoon's recent dramas, and Silver in turn listening to the accounts of some of Twilight & her friends' adventures.

Later that night, as she was getting ready for bed, Twilight took a picture of Spike and Silver Spoon sleeping curled up together in the young dragon's basket-bed. She suppressed a squee at the cuteness, and then hopped into bed for the night.

**-**_**SCENE BREAK**_**-**

**Next day**

Twilight walked across the empty, neglected main room of Carousel Boutique, her saddlebags carrying a few snacks from the bakery. Rarity hadn't left the boutique since the incident two days ago, and she hardly even left her room; Sweetie Belle had been making sure her older sister remembered to eat, drink, sleep, and bathe. According to the pastel-maned filly, the guilt over everything regarding Spike had nearly consumed the gem-themed designer. Twilight walked up the stairs, heading for Rarity's room; the door was shut, as expected.

"Rarity?" she said. "It's me, Twilight. Can I come in?"

After a few seconds of silence, the door is opened from the inside, a faint blue telekinetic glow on the inside handle. Twilight shut the door behind her and then turned to have a look at her friend, and had to suppress a wince. Rarity was unceremoniously splayed out on her stomach on top of her bed, her coat and mane had lost their shine and were lightly faded in color (though not as bad as back when she was "Discorded"), her mane & tail-fur had lost most of their usual curl, and there were bags under her eyes, which were also a little red. All in all, it was a pitiful sight. She slowly raised her head to look at Twilight, forcing a small, sad smile onto her face.

"Hello, Twilight" she said, her voice sounding somewhat hoarse and her usual accent/affectation all but gone. "What brings you here, darling?"

"I came to see how you were doing," Twilight replied as she walked over, "and I brought you a snack."

Twilight then telekinetically opened the pack on her right side, and a pair of vanilla cupcakes with chocolate icing floated out and over to Rarity, each one topped by a small "diamond" made of hard candy.

"Pinkie made them earlier today" Twilight said. "Just for you. She's really worried about you… as are the rest of us, too."

Rarity let out a long, sad sigh. "I know" she said softly. "But I'm just… not ready yet…"

Twilight took off her saddlebags, setting them on the bed, and then walked around tidying & straightening up as best she could; Rarity's usual compulsive need for neatness had taken a back seat to her present melancholy, and Sweetie Belle had done as best she could in upkeep, but Twilight's obsessive-compulsive traits drew her attention to tiny details the filly had missed, which she easily rectified. Rarity had started slowly munching on one of the cupcakes by this point as she pulled herself to a seated position on her bed, though the weight of her little depression pressed down on her still, resulting in a slouch.

"I still can't believe it all…" Rarity said suddenly, catching Twilight's attention. The lavender unicorn immediately figured out what she meant.

"Rarity…"

"I'm thinking that, perhaps… Spike was partially right…"

"Rarity! We all know you would _never _do the things he accused you of! Discord got to him and planted those thoughts in his head!"

"But I _did _do those things!" the violet-haired mare shouted in despair, tears in her eyes. "Even though I didn't mean to do them, even though I didn't mean any malice, even though I thought of Spike like family, I still _used him_! I'd long since figured out he had a crush on me, and he was such a lovely little gentleman who's just a little too young for my tastes. He always seemed eager to help, and I assumed he always would be. I… I told myself that he was happy to help and that I was never asking too much of him, but… I think, deep down, part of me was deliberately taking advantage of his feelings to get him to help me – using him without any plan to ever sufficiently repay him for everything. Twilight, I… I'm so sorry! I'm a selfish, horrible pony! How could I have ever done that to him?-! I… I was… I think I actually had the beginnings of feelings for Spike. I was e-even hoping that if I kept it going for a while, and m-my feelings grew with time, then when he was old enough I'd have a partner who truly respected and cared for me, unlike that rancid bastard Blueblood. But… my own actions have permanently robbed me of that chance. He'll never forgive me. And, however many years or decades in the future it is, I will die alone… and I will deserve it."

After that, everything was quiet; Twilight couldn't possibly think of anything to say in response to all of that. Rarity had gone still, head hanging low as she despaired. After several seconds, Twilight slowly walked out of the room.

"I'm gonna go get you some water" she said, the tone of her voice making it obvious that seeing her friend suffering was hurting her badly.

As Rarity sulked for about another minute, she saw something poking out of one of Twilight's bags. Curious, she telekinetically pulled it out and held it up in front of her. …When she got a good look, she almost dropped it, feeling a shuddering gasp build in her throat. It was a picture of Spike, curled up asleep in his basket-bed, with a little filly curled up with him, forelimbs and tail wrapped around him. Both of them looked adorably content. Upon close inspection, the girl looked a bit familiar.

"Silver Platter and Silver Axe's daughter…" Rarity murmured, recognizing the occasionally-seen daughter of one of her more polite & reasonable rich customers and his cold yet tolerable wife. Rarity remembered yesterday evening, when Sweetie Belle had told her of the nasty falling-out between Silver Spoon and her "friend", the daughter of Filthy Rich (oh, how he _hated_ that name, preferring to go by "Onyx" and to use his wife's surname) and Golden Tiara (bless that unfortunate mare's kind heart). Sweetie had often told Rarity of Diamond Tiara's frequent bullying, but the description of the incident that the pink filly had pulled yesterday had Rarity horrified even in the middle of her Spike-related breakdown. Sweetie Belle had also described in detail the vicious calling-out Silver Spoon had handed Diamond over the incident. Rarity wasn't too surprised there; Silver was well-known for her model behavior when not in Diamond Tiara's presence, and it was plainly obvious that she was the moral compass of the duo.

But why was she curled up with Spike?

When Twilight walked in telekinetically carrying a glass of water, she almost dropped it when she realized what Rarity was looking at. She stammered a few times, trying to say something.

"When was this taken, Twilight?" Rarity asked, her tone neutral yet still tainted by sadness.

"…Last night" she uneasily replied. "They've been… pretty much inseparable since they met yesterday afternoon."

"…So he found someone else…" Rarity whispered with sadness. She then turned to Twilight. "Does she at least…"

"She's head-over-heels for him" Twilight replied before Rarity could finish the question. "And I… haven't seen him this happy in quite some time…"

"…Good. He found someone who can make him happy. He deserves a girl better than me… and that's exactly what he got, from the looks of it. That's one tiny comfort I can take – that his experiences with me didn't ruin his chance to find happiness with another."

"Just give him time" Twilight said. "You've lost an admirer, but… maybe, given enough time, you can re-gain a friend."

"…One can only hope…"

**-**_**SCENE BREAK**_**-**

**Several days later**

Diamond Tiara was an absolute wreck. She hadn't slept in days. Every time she tried, **their** voices rang in her head no matter how tightly she clutched her ears, and every time she closed her eyes she saw **their** faces looking down at her, accusing, judging. She barely ate, too sickened with herself to keep anything down, and she couldn't stand to look in a mirror, feeling deep revulsion every time she saw her own reflection or even a picture of herself. She felt like there were enormous weights in her stomach and chest, as well as on her body, and sometimes, she could see or hear **them **even when she was awake with her eyes open and in a noisy environment. Horrid thoughts raced through her addled mind near-constantly, and she feared that she would either go insane or die very soon.

Father was always busy with his booming business, and she had never really felt comfortable confiding in him anyway. Silver Spoon was long-gone and hated her. That left her with only one option left. That was why she now headed for the Ponyville Mental Health Facility. She walked through the glass doors of the front entrance, toward the reception desk. The receptionist, a black-furred pegasus mare with a forest-green mane, looked up at the sound.

"Hello, how may I help… Diamond Tiara? My goodness, it's been a while, dear. What brings you… Sweet Celestia, what in the world has happened to you?"

"Hi, Ms. Soft Thunder" the filly greeted, her voice a tad raw. "I know it's been a long time, but… I've come to see my mother. She's in Blue Ward, Room 204, right?"

"Huh? Oh, I forgot; you haven't been here in a while. No, she's been transferred to Teal Ward, Room 3. You haven't come by in a couple of years, so I'm not surprised you haven't heard. Golden Tiara's mental state has actually improved remarkably. She still gets the delusions, but she also gets regular periods of lucidity, and the "episodes" are getting rarer. In fact, she can feel the delusions coming and suppress & postpone them, for several hours if necessary. And when they do happen, they last a lot less time. The frequency and intensity of her "episodes" is steadily decreasing, and she's coming up with mental control exercises that we're pretty sure might actually do the rest of the work. The fact that she gets them _at all_ is the only reason we have to still keep her here for now. If things keep up at this rate… she might actually be ready for release in less than a year."

Diamond's jaw had nearly hit the floor.

"And with all the things she's done lately, she's almost as much a staff member as a patient here. She keeps the… less fortunate patients in line, she'll occasionally act as a semi-unofficial counselor or help new additions adapt to the facility, and just yesterday she helped thwart a suicide. She's actually one of only two patients allowed free reign of nearly the entire facility, because of how much control she has over her 'problems'. I believe she's currently in her room trying to think of ways to improve the facility's suicide prevention protocols in the wake of yesterday's incident. …She even helped _me _out of a rut when my toddler son was sick."

"Can she still… dislocate her bones?"

"Oh, that never had anything to do with her mental issues, it turns out. Apparently, she's _always _had a very high pain tolerance and flexibility. …She likes messing with new additions to the staff by scaring the hay out of them with her little 'tricks', though. Anyway, I'll call in ahead and inform her she has a visitor."

"…Thank you…" Diamond barely managed to say as she walked down the hall.

The walk down the hall of the Teal Ward was a much shorter trek than the old Blue Ward walk, but Diamond Tiara still felt like she had weights dragging her every step. She approached the door, feeling inexplicable fear but forcing herself up to it. It was unlocked, and she pushed it open, peeking inside. Sitting near the window that overlooked a grassy field, the mid-aged mare with deep-pink fur, a purple mane with white highlights, and a Cutie Mark of a blue gem with golden wings had her eyes closed as she breathed in deeply. Her violet eyes glanced over at Diamond, turned away, and then shot wide open in surprise as she double-taked.

"Diamond? Honey!"

She all but ran over to her daughter, a big smile on her face.

"It's been so long; I've missed you so much! I…" She then noticed the state her daughter was in. "By Celestia, what in the world's happened to you? You look like you haven't eaten or slept in days! I-Is something wrong? Are you sick?"

"Mama…" Diamond shrugged off her mom's fussing over her. "I… I need to confess…"

"Confess what, honey?"

"A lot of things… A whole lot… I'm bad."

You've… been bad?"

"…I _am _bad. I…"

And finally, in the presence of her mother, the little girl's crushing guilt came spilling out.

"I'm… I'm a monster" she sobbed out. "I'm… a cruel, heartless monster!"

Over the next 15 minutes, Diamond Tiara confessed all the things she'd done over the years – the arrogance, the cold-hearted scheming, the bullying, the remarks, the humiliation plots, taking pleasure in others' misfortunes, trying to put her own beloved mother out of her mind – refuse to accept the situation, to deal with it. She came up to the recent incident involving Scootaloo, and the big fight with Silver Spoon that followed. By this point she was openly weeping.

"Silver was _right_! H-How could I have done that?-! E-Every night, if I try to sleep, I see their faces judging me, hear their voices accusing me! I can't look in a mirror without feeling revolted at what I see, I can't eat without feeling like I'm gonna throw up, and even when I'm awake those thoughts and feelings are screaming around inside my head and it feels like my chest is gonna collapse in on itself! W-What have I done?-! What have I become?-! Silver was right; I don't have a heart anymore! These feelings are driving me _mad_! I can't live like this!-! I can't live with myself after all I've done! I'm a horribly pony; a Celestia-forsaken _monster_!-!"

After that, she couldn't talk anymore, degenerating into helpless, uncontrollable sobs, gasps, and hiccups. She barely noticed as her mother embraced her, holding her close and tight, gently stroking her head and back, letting her cry into her chest. For several minutes Golden Tiara held her broken child, doing her best to calm her, nuzzling her, slowly rocking her back & forth. Finally, the girl had quieted enough that Golden could talk.

"You're _not _a monster, honey" she said soothingly. "You've just made some bad decisions. All those terrible feelings you have? If you were truly heartless, you wouldn't be having any of them right now. You wouldn't have come to see me. You wouldn't feel horrible over what you've done. You've _been _bad, but you aren't bad by nature. I'm sorry that me being put away here hurt you so much. You've done wrong, true, but it's not too late. Don't ever tell yourself that you're beyond redemption. You're my little girl. I know there's still good in you; in fact, right now I can see it shining within you brighter than ever. You haven't gone too far. Now is the perfect time to turn things around – to start over and take steps _away _from that darkness."

"I…" the girl sniffled. "I don't… I don't know what to do…"

"Find the ponies you've hurt. Show them how sorry you are, and that there's still good in you, and that you want to change. I know it will be very hard, and things may or may not turn out completely perfectly, but I know you can do it. I can't determine whether or not they'll choose to forgive you, but they'll at least know that you are sorry and that you want to change."

"…I'll try, mama."

"That's a good girl. Do you want to hang out with me for a little while longer, to prepare yourself?"

"…I'd love to, but… I can't. I… I need to go set things right as soon as possible. Whatever happens… Whatever it takes. …I love you, mom. I'll try to visit more often from now on."

"I love you too, my little princess. I know you can do it. Good luck."

After one last good-bye hug, Diamond Tiara sprinted out the room door, and headed out of the facility and toward the town. Golden Tiara turned to the door with a smile.

"You can come out now, dear."

Filthy "Onyx Tiara" Rich stepped in, having flattened himself against the wall when his daughter bolted out.

"I saw her walking in, and I decided to follow her" he said. "How are you doing, honey?"

"Pretty good, all things considered. Ask Soft Thunder if you don't believe me."

"…I can't believe I didn't notice all the things my daughter's been doing… All that she's been going through… That she'd built a wall around her heart…"

"That wall has quite a lot of cracks in it now, and I've widened them as best I can. Now, it's up to her to finish tearing it down. …Honey… If things don't go well… please watch out for her; make sure the collapsing wall doesn't crush her."

"You think she might… do something drastic?"

"I hope not. But… just in case… Please keep her safe."

"By your command."

She giggled. "My charming prince…" She pulled him in for a quick kiss. "See you around?" she asked.

"Yeah" he smiled. "Diamond's not the only one who'll try to visit more often. Count on it."

"You'd best get going; make sure everything turns out as close to okay as it can."

"Of course. I'll be seeing you, dear."

With that, he left, and the room was quiet again.

"I have the most interesting family…" Golden mumbled to herself. "And I wouldn't trade it for anything."

**-**_**CHAPTER END**_**-**

One more to go


	3. Redemption

And here's the finale.

SEE PREVIOUS CHAPTERS FOR DISCLAIMERS

Side note: Rarity's elemental affinities are Earth and Water. This comment will make sense in this chapter.

**-**_**CHAPTER START**_**-**

The Cutie Mark Crusaders made their way through town, heading for Pinkie's place to meet up with Silver Spoon and Spike. Feeling more pressed for time than they actually were, they decided to cut through a shadowed alleyway. However, halfway through a small figure moved from the shadows ahead, sitting in their path. They screeched to a halt, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle hiding behind Scootaloo. The little figure slowly and unsteadily walked out to allow the trio to see her. Days-settled anger in the girls gave way to shock.

After all, they'd never seen Diamond Tiara look this bad.

The girl's coat was faded, her normally-impeccable mane un-groomed and dull. Her eyes were red, and there were dark circles around them – obvious signs of both recent tears and lack of sleep. She was skinnier, and her whole body was trembling lightly. She looked at the girls, who actually felt a stab of sadness and pity at how sorrowful they were.

"What in the world happened to ya?" Apple Bloom said softly.

"Everything" Diamond choked out in reply. "Ever since I realized Silver Spoon was right about me. I… I can't eat. I can't sleep. I can't look at myself in a mirror. It feels like there are weights inside me dragging me down. I'm always seeing or hearing you girls and Silver every time I close my eyes or when it's quiet… Accusing me, judging me, threatening me, hating me… Every time I think about what I've done, what I've become… I just wanna curl up and stop breathing…"

"Guilt…" Sweetie Belle whispered in surprise as she caught on to what was happening. "The guilt over things is literally driving her mad. Maybe even killing her…"

"Is she… faking?" Scootaloo muttered, in shock, not wholly believing what she had just said.

"No…" Apple Bloom replied, just as surprised. "This ain't somethin' you can fake. Not like this…"

"I…" Diamond continued. "I don't know what in Celestia's name I've been thinking all this time. What I've done over the years… to you girls… to everyone… is beyond forgiveness; beyond redemption. I know you can never forgive me… But… I just wanted… _needed _to tell you…" Her voice started to break. "I'm so sorry…"

She got down on the ground, prostrated before the shocked trio, crying.

"I know you can't accept my apology. I don't blame you in the slightest. But if there's anything you want to do… then please, do it! Beat me until my ribs and limbs are broken, humiliate me in front of the whole town, crush my throat so I can never talk and say bad things about anyone ever again, or make it so I'll never be within 100 feet of you again, whatever you need to do! Let your anger out on me! I know I'm a horrible pony! There isn't any hope left for me! I've wasted my chance to be happy and have friends, and no punishment could ever really fit what I've done! Please! I'll do whatever it takes to atone, let you do whatever you want to me! I can't live like this anymore! It hurts too bad! I feel like I'm about to die every second of every day! And I really think that at this point I might deserve to! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I n-never meant to fall this far! I wish I could change, wish I could turn things around, but it's too late for that! I can't take this pain anymore! I'm a _monster_! …I'm just… so tired… of it all…"

With that, she simply lay there, face down in the dirt crying, unable to muster the willpower to say anything more. As they watched and listened, the Crusaders found that, try as they might, they couldn't feel angry anymore. Instead, there was shock, understanding, sadness, and pity. Scootaloo very slowly took a few steps forward toward the broken girl. She looked deep inside herself, finding that the hate was gone, and in its place were feelings she would've never expected to find toward this particular filly. The bully that had tormented her was gone; in her place was just another child, just like her, and this one was sad and scared just as she had once been. She reached out, gently laying a hoof on Diamond Tiara's shoulder; the other girl flinched and seized up in fear at the touch. But no pain came. Diamond slowly uncovered enough of her face to allow one eye to look up, and as Scootaloo met her eyes she said three words that she would have never believed herself saying – three that nearly sent Diamond reeling:

"I forgive you."

Diamond was so shocked that she forgot to breathe for a few seconds. Her eyes went as wide as they could, and when she tried to talk she failed.

"You've been through enough" Scootaloo continued, speaking softly. "You understand that you've done wrong. You want to change. You're sorrier than you've been for anything else in your whole life. You've been torturing yourself over this. You've let go of the arrogance and pride that led you to do those bad things. You're slowly destroying yourself over this. You've suffered more than enough. …You _do _still have goodness in you, and you're willing to do whatever it takes to hold onto it. You're a little girl just like me, who's sorry and who needs and wants to do the right thing from here on out. So… I forgive you."

Wordlessly, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle walked over to either side of Diamond Tiara and carefully helped her to her feet, dusting her off and helping her steady herself.

"I had the tiniest hunch that it wasn't too late for you" Apple Bloom said. "Just a gut feelin', and that's never steered me wrong."

At that, Scootaloo cleared her throat, and she & Sweetie Belle glared at Apple Bloom.

"Er, outside of Cutie Mark crusadin', that is" the yellow filly said sheepishly.

"Take heart, Diamond," Sweetie Belle said in a deadpan tone while making a matching face at Apple Bloom, "for you have never been through multiple, wildly different endeavors that all inexplicably end with being covered in tree sap."

"Man, I don't even _know _how the 'Tennis-themed Cutie Marks' attempt ended like that" Scootaloo added in. "Or the water-skiing one."

"Or the origami one, for that matter" Sweetie Belle said. "How does trying to fold paper into pretty shapes result in tree-sap? _How_, I ask you?-!"

"That… really doesn't make any sense…" Diamond Tiara said.

"I know, right? Anyway… Would you like to come to our clubhouse for a bit?"

"W-What? Even if you've forgiven me, why would you want me around?"

Scootaloo chuckled. "Yeah, Silver Spoon was a bit freaked out when we accepted her, too."

Diamond's eyes went wide, various emotions visible in them. "Y-You've… talked with Silver Spoon?"

"Yeah" Apple Bloom replied. "She was dang-near terrified we'd hate her, but we broke her of that suspicion pretty quick. And Spike's helpin' her adjust, too."

"In that case… could one of you perhaps do me a favor?"

**-**_**SCENE BREAK**_**-**

Spike sat in the main room of the library/house, engrossed in a comic book. Silver Spoon was lounging with her head in his lap, reading it with him. Twilight was going to be out doing a personally-assigned research project until sunset, so they had the place to themselves. Suddenly, there was a polite yet insistent knocking on the door. They got up and walked over together to the door, opening it. There was no-one there. There was, however, a wheeled crate piled five ponies high with sapphires & rubies and marigolds & tulips.

"My favorite…" Spike and Silver Spoon chorused together, eyes wide.

"Hey, there's a scroll on the front" Silver said, pointing it out to Spike. The young dragon picked it up, seeing that the front read "FOR EVERYTHING YOU DID FOR ME". He opened it, and in a flash of Rarity's bluish magic a good-sized, perfectly-aged fire-ruby fell out of magical storage, landing at Spike's feet. Overcome with curiosity, he began to read, Silver Spoon reading with him over his shoulder:

"_Spike,_

_I have, upon thought, realized to my horror that I am guilty of everything you accused me of, however consciously ignorant of my actions and subconscious desires I may have been. I was well aware of the feelings you had for me, but I told myself the age difference was, for the time being, too great a factor. …Over the months, I believe that my subconscious mind was indeed leading me to take advantage of your feelings, and for that I can never forgive myself, just as you can and should never forgive me. I lied to myself, convincing myself that you were happy to assist me, that I was giving you enough to repay you for all that you did._

_I was a short-sighted fool blind to my own darkness._

_I admit I did have yet another ulterior motive. I __**did **__have the beginnings of feelings for you, and I hoped that continued time together until you were old enough would reward me with a kind, caring partner so unlike the stallions I've known in the past. You were a perfect little gentleman, just like I always wanted. …But my thoughtless actions took all that away forever._

_This gift is payment for all the things you did for me – all the gems I __**should **__have given you, with interest, all of them mined by me, alone, over the previous few days. Along with them are the favorite treats of your girlfriend. Yes, I am aware that you have found love where I no longer can, and Silver Spoon's parents are semi-frequent customers of mine, so her doting father may have said a few things here & there. I know you will treat her a thousand times better than I treated you, and vice-versa. …I know that what I have done to you is beyond unforgivable. You can never and __**should **__never pardon what I have done, and I will never forgive myself for it either. Living and then dying alone without a beloved one as I now plan to is the least I deserve. You will not have to suffer my presence ever again; I will schedule the few times I leave my shop to avoid crossing your path, and I will endeavor to learn Twilight's teleportation spell so that, if when I am out & about I detect your presence, I will get out of your way so you don't have to deal with me. Goodbye, Spike. And thank you for everything._

_Silver, if you are reading this… Please, take care of him where I failed to. He has earned that much. You are a wonderful filly and I know you will make him happy where I couldn't._

_Rarity Belle_"

Spike stared at the letter still clutched in his hands, which was becoming slightly blurred by unshed tears. He looked up at the mountain of gems before him, but he didn't exactly feel hungry for them anymore. Waves of crushing regret rushed through him. He looked to Silver Spoon, who wordlessly got up on her hind legs and hugged him tightly, which he returned as he still tried to fight the tears back.

An hour later, Spike and Silver Spoon were again sitting in the living room, but this time their moods were considerably more somber. And yet again, a knock on the door – this one more forceful – interrupted.

"Spike? Silver?" a young, accented voice called in. "It's me, Apple Bloom! Y'all in there?"

Silver Spoon got up and let the other filly in, and Apple Bloom took stock of the sight – a large pile of gemstones and flowers, completely untouched, in the corner, along with a morose-looking Spike, and Silver didn't look to be in high spirits, either.

"I'm guessin' there's a really complicated story behind all this" the yellow-furred filly said.

Silver merely gestured to the scroll sitting on the floor in front of the cart-full-of-stuff. After Apple Bloom finished reading it, she looked sad and pensive.

"Well, Sweetie Belle did mention that Rarity's been depressed and lockin' herself away in her room lately…" she muttered. "I didn't know the situation was this big, though. …Anyway, that ain't quite why I came here. Silver Spoon, I've got a message for ya."

"Really?" the gray filly asked. "From who?"

"Well… Before I say who it is, lemme first say that we were just as surprised at her personality turn-around as you'll likely be. Guilt's been eatin' her alive, to the point where I'm a bit surprised she ain't done anythin'… drastic. It seems that… you weren't entirely right with your assumptions when you chewed her out; if she were heartless, there ain't no way Diamond Tiara would be so completely broken right now by loneliness an' regret an' self-hatred an' guilt."

Silver Spoon's jaw dropped. She found herself too shocked to speak.

"She's in a real bad way" Apple Bloom continued. "She ain't slept or eaten in days. She can't look in a mirror or at a picture of herself without feelin' so disgusted that she gets nauseous. She's wastin' away, an' the guilt and other feelings are literally startin' to drive her mad; she's been hallucinatin', hearing voices – yours and ours – judgin' an' accusin' an' other nasty stuff. All the bad stuff she's done, all the bad feelings she's put on others, they're all hittin' her back all at once, ten-fold. She even went an' talked to her mother, and from what we've been able to squeeze outta Diamond her mama had to spend a good long while tryin' to convince her she _ain't_ a black-hearted monster beyond redemption… an' I think her mama just might've failed in that endeavor. …Anyway, Diamond can't bear facin' you right now, so I volunteered to come here and tell y'all that stuff, and that she's probably the sorriest pony in the world right now from what the gals & I can tell. …Now, if y'all excuse me, I gotta get back to the clubhouse; we got her stayin' there so we can keep our eyes on her, make sure she don't do anythin' drastic, if ya know what I mean. Sweetie Belle already took anythin' sharp an' buried it out behind the clubhouse for the time bein'. I'll be seein' you two."

As Apple Bloom left out the front door, Silver Spoon's hind legs gave out on her from shock, leaving her seated, eyes wide, staring into space as it all sank in. Spike came up and hugged her from behind.

"I guess now we're in the same boat, huh?" he said with a tinge of sadness and understanding in his tone. She said nothing, letting out a sniffle as she hung her head, resting her chin on his arms. After several seconds he asked "Do you want to go see her?", and after several seconds' contemplating she nodded.

The duo made their way across town and into the area bordering Sweet Apple Acres, and soon a certain treehouse was visible. The two made their way closer as quietly as they could, slowly making their way up the steps. Voices were now audible inside.

"She seemed completely flummoxed, just like we were" Apple Bloom's voice could be heard saying.

"Maybe that's a good thing" Scootaloo said.

"I doubt that…" said a voice that sounded like Diamond Tiara, but way too sad and lifeless to be her. Spike and Silver Spoon made their way to a window, peeking in, and Silver stifled a gasp. Diamond looked positively awful; her mane was a mess, her coat was faded, her eyes were dull and red from lack of sleep and recent tears, with bags under them and black circles around them, she was skinny, and her whole posture spoke of a broken soul. She was staring half-lidded at the floor in front of her, head hanging low. Around her, the Crusader Trio looked pitying and concerned.

"It's just as well" Diamond said in a low, lifeless tone. "She deserves a medal for putting up for me for even just a month, let alone six years. She shouldn't have to trouble herself with a horrible pony like me. I'm no good for anything other than causing pain and sadness to others."

"That's not true" Sweetie Belle said. "You were her friend. You obviously cared for her; if you didn't, you wouldn't be so torn up by the things she said. …There's still good in you. We can see it, your mom & dad can see it…"

"…Diamonds are reflective. You're all seeing your own good reflected back at you. Inside me, there's nothing…" Upon close inspection, Diamond Tiara's fur was getting almost-imperceptibly grayer.

"That's bullcrap!" Apple Bloom cut in. "Nopony's heartless! Nopony's worthless! Ain't ya ever heard of the phrase 'diamond in the rough'? You've just been in more rough than most."

"By continuing to exist," Diamond Tiara continued, no longer able to hear the others as she sank deeper into despair, "I cause suffering to others. My life has no worth, no great meaning."

"Diamond? You're starting to worry me here" Scootaloo muttered.

"It would be better for everyone else… if I just… disappeared."

Before five sets of horrified eyes, there was a dark flash of light that rolled across Diamond Tiara's entire body, leaving all of her colors heavily de-saturated, her whole form grayed. Her eyes lost what little light remained in them, and her breathing began to slow.

"She's Discorded herself…" Spike whispered in horror.

"D-Diamond?" Apple Bloom was trying her damndest to keep from freaking out. "C'mon girl, don't do this to us! Hey, listen to me! It ain't too late for ya! You haven't lost everythin' yet! You can do more than cause pain! You can put that part of you in the past! You can still be someone's friend! W-_We'll _be your friends! Don't go fadin' out here! Don't go dyin' on us!"

The three fillies didn't notice as someone entered the clubhouse, intent on what she was about to do.

"Come on, Tiara!" Scootaloo shouted. "I thought you were tougher than this! Fight it! Come back to us! …Please…"

Sweetie Belle was on the verge of tears, feeling helpless to stop what she saw was about to happen.

"Silver…" Diamond whispered, no longer able to see, her eyes slowly closing as her voice weakened. "For everything… Thank you… and… I'm… sorry…"

And then Silver Spoon, having reached the Discorded and shutting-down Diamond Tiara and now standing directly in front of her (to the shock of the Crusaders) reached out and pulled Diamond into a hug. The fading filly's eyes shot open in surprise, quickly identifying who was now holding her. She brought a hoof up, softly pressing it against the other's side to confirm that this was real. Silver held her tight, tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry…" Silver whispered. "I was wrong about you. You're not heartless at all. You're still good. I don't want to see you hurting like this anymore …You're my friend."

Slowly, a small wave of six-hued light swept over Diamond Tiara's body, returning her to her normal, full colors. Slowly, she brought her forelimbs up to return the embrace, and she started to cry. The Crusaders and then Spike joined in to make it a group hug, and it wasn't long before Diamond was openly bawling. All the while, Silver held her close, shedding her own silent tears. At long last, she had her old friend back.

That night, Diamond Tiara slept soundly and peacefully for the first time in nearly a week, curled up together with Silver, Spike, and the Crusaders in the guest's bed at Twilight's house. The purple-furred unicorn, though saddened by Rarity's letter, felt joy at seeing a damaged friendship be mended stronger than ever.

**-**_**SCENE BREAK**_**-**

**A few days later**

**Flutter Field**

Two small figures were seated on a blanket laid out next to the line of trees that bordered Flutter Field, a pristine area of green grass, flowers tended to by butterflies, and several large rock formations covered in plant life, all bordering a large, clear-watered river. Having finished their packed lunch (made up of a small portion of Rarity's gift), they now lay back and watched the clouds together.

The "rebuilding" of Diamond Tiara's shattered self-image was progressing slowly but surely. She was learning better 'friendship skills', helped by the Crusaders, Spike, & Silver Spoon, as well as some copies of Twilight's various Friendship Reports. Rarity, meanwhile, was keeping to her word despite the other girls' attempts to talk to her about it, going out of her way to avoid crossing Spike's or Silver Spoon's path out of shame and guilt. According to Sweetie Belle, Rarity had been spending inordinate amounts of time locked up in her room again, often late into the night, this time with several spell scrolls that she studied with an intensity that would leave Twilight impressed had she seen it. When asked why she was doing this, Rarity replied "just expanding my knowledge and repertoire."

Spike & Silver's cloud-gazing was interrupted by a snarling sound coming from in the field. They sat up and looked over, and saw three black-and-purple bipedal creatures, with red slit-pupiled eyes and large claws.

"Crap…" Spike breathed out. "Shadow Slashers…"

"What are they?" Silver Spoon asked, feeling nervous.

"They're creatures that are literally made of corruptive dark magic. They were originally created by some high-level dark mage around half a millennium ago, but when Celestia killed him they didn't die out like expected. They feed on ambient magic, and they reproduce asexually from what studies can tell. They're also _really_ vicious; they've killed plenty of ponies over the centuries. …Granted, one or two are hardly a threat, but they live in packs and tend to mob-rush their targets until either they're all destroyed or their target is. Every once in a while, Celestia has their numbers culled, but from what I hear that hasn't had to be done for a couple of decades now, since for some reason sightings of them have been down for a while."

"Should… Should we run now before they see us?"

Before Spike could answer, one of the creatures turned toward them and caught sight of them, letting out a predatory hiss that alerted its two comrades to the presence of live fleshlings. The three Shadow Slashers slowly stalked toward the couple, and then broke into a charge. Spike, instinctively reacting to protect his "partner", immediately launched a green fireball that impacted the charge-leader square in the face, knocking it backward and destroying it. Two more fireballs picked off the other two. He breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well, that wasn't so bad" he said.

On cue, more Shadow Slashers rose from the earth. And more. And more. And more.

"I think I know why they haven't been seen much the past few decades, honey" Silver Spoon said, trembling. "They've gotten smart enough to take 'strength in numbers' to the logical conclusion."

There must have been hundreds of them, varying in size and form. A town full of unsuspecting fleshlings was ahead, and all that stood in their path were two children. Two-dozen Shadow Slashers, each with their right arms looking like organic cannons, took aim at the couple. They all fired, a barrage of dark energy bolts, and Spike & Silver Spoon hugged each other with eyes clenched shut.

There was the *crack-fwoosh* of teleportation, and a transparent, blue-tinted magical barrier sprang into being, blocking the shots. The two kids opened their eyes to see Rarity standing before them, facing the horde, her body wavering with magical energy. Without a word, her horn pulsed and the barrier shattered into a fusillade of shards that shot forward, cutting down 15 Slashers.

"I'm sorry you have to see me again, Spike" she said. "But even after all that has happened… Even if I have to break my word and ruin your date with my presence, I _will not _let them harm you or her."

A larger Shadow Slasher, one of the alphas, roared a challenge. Rarity stood fast.

"Look around, demons" she called out. "I am in and surrounded by my element. You can't defeat me. So long as I draw breath, these two children shall not be harmed!"

(BATTLE MUSIC – TAKE YOUR PICK: _Naruto Shippūden Movie 3 _OST – "Blind Animal" **OR **_Red vs. Blue Revelation _OST – "Revelation Suite")

A pack of around two-dozen of the Shadow Slashers charged her. In response, her magic enveloped a rock formation, which came apart into a fusillade of rock spikes that shot toward them, destroying them all. The 'cannon'-wielding Slashers took aim and fired at her en masse; she responded by raising another barrier, and then the shooters were impaled from beneath by spears of rock jutting up from the earth. Another group of Shooters near the river were stopped before they could fire on her when a mass of the water, controlled by Rarity's magic, reared up behind them and then grabbed hold of them in the form of watery tentacles that then tore them all asunder. Another six Slashers had gotten close to her by now, but her magic surged again as a shifting mass of sand emerged from beneath the ground, blocking their attacks and then lashing out at them, bashing some and crushing others, destroying them.

30 more Slashers charged toward her, including a larger Alpha, but during their charge they passed through a zone surrounded by plant-covered rock formations. Another surge of Rarity's magic into the formations resulted in the Shadow Slashers being caught in a deadly crossfire of high-velocity stone projectiles, destroying them all. A force of nearly 100 then rushed in. In response, Rarity's horn flared brightly, and it was then as if nearly the entire river rose up in the form of a serpentine dragon that then "flew" through the air, crashing into the horde with extreme force – enough to crush and destroy every last one of them. An even larger chunk of the army of darklings, driven by mindless blood-rage, broke into a terrifying charge. In response, Rarity called forth a huge amount of magic, such that her eyes glowed blue from her power. The ground in front of her began to give way, subsumed under/by an ever-growing mass of magically-charged sand. It soon became a veritable tidal wave that rushed forward, engulfing nearly 200 of the fiends and almost-completely burying that half of Flutter Field. Before they could dig their way out, another huge pulse of power from Rarity caused the tremendous mass of sand to hyper-compress instantaneously, crushing everything in it and making the ground tremble as if there were an earthquake. By now, Rarity was gasping for breath, her limbs trembling slightly, having expended enormous amounts of her energy, but she refused to falter.

Undaunted, none of the remaining hundreds of Shadow Slashers even considered fleeing, their minds driven by feral fury. Rarity unleashed a large pulse of solid telekinetic magic, forming a shockwave that destroyed many of the next charging wave and sent the rest hurtling through the air. This was repeated a second time shortly after. And a third. This time, Rarity nearly collapsed, yet she then pulled herself back up, her eyes returning to their focus as her body flared up with more power, but this time there was something off about it. It felt different, and her exhausted appearance seemed to worsen. Another pulse of power knocked away another enemy charge, and Rarity then coughed for a few seconds, the last one bringing up a small amount of blood, her knees trembling, yet still she refused to fall, staring defiantly out at the horde.

"No…" Silver Spoon whispered.

"What?" Spike asked. "What's she doing?"

"I read about this in one of Twilight's books. She's… She's used up her normal magical reserves, so now she's getting more by converting it directly from her life-force! If she keeps this up for too much longer, she'll die!"

(MUSIC: _Mass Effect 3 _OST – "A Future for the Krogan" – 0:00 to 1:04)

Rarity continued to gasp for breath, still ready to attack again. The horde of Shadow Slashers had paused for just a moment, as if contemplating what to do next. She willed her eyesight to keep its focus and violently pushed back her body's urge to relinquish consciousness to preserve itself.

"Rarity…" Spike said, a myriad of emotions in his voice. "You don't have to do this… You… You would actually go this far to…"

"It's the least I can do" she replied, her voice starting to give out. "After all the pain I caused you, I swore to make amends the only way I could: by making sure you get and keep the happiness you deserve. That extends to making sure you're alive to experience it. You've finally found someone who you deserve. I won't let either of you meet your end like this… even if I have to in your place."

"I never wanted this…" the boy choked out, his eyes watery. "Even when I was angry, I never wanted you to get hurt. You're… You're my friend. I can't bear losing a friend like this!"

"Spike… I did come to love you. I think some part of me might still. That is why… To do this for your sake… If it comes to pass, I'll have no regrets about it. …Silver Spoon, please take good care of him."

"M-Miss Rarity…" the filly sniffled. "You can't…"

(MUSIC: Cont'd – 1:05 to END)

En masse, the remaining 450 Shadow Slashers charged again. Rarity stood fast and tall, her life's power building, and as the leading wave got close she unleashed a burst of power that made the ground rise up in a wall of spikes that skewered them. The rest broke through the spikes and continued forward, and the river again surged up at Rarity's command, rushing forward and crushing many more of the fiends. As the rest of the horde came rushing in, Rarity struck out with one massive telekinetic wave after another. Blood started leaking from her mouth and her glowing eyes, but she continued unheeded. She slowly walked forward on trembling legs, lashing out at the dwindling demons as she went, until finally she began gathering every last bit of power she had left, swirling together as a blinding spark of light hovering above her horn. The last 200 of the horde, the largest and hardiest of the army, came rushing in all at once, insane with the deep-seated need to shed her blood.

"Rarity! NO!-!"

There was a massive, omni-directional pulse of overwhelming magical power, a half-dome of bluish energy racing outward at great speed. It passed over Spike and Silver Spoon, leaving them completely unharmed. Each Shadow Slasher it hit screamed out and then disintegrated into particles of darkness that then faded away. The clouds above parted from the force of the shockwave, and the humongous surge of magical power was felt by everyone in Ponyville. The shockwave dissipated and faded out after several seconds.

Back at the ruined Flutter Field, Rarity stood totally still, the glow of power fading from her eyes and body. After several seconds, she slowly turned her head to Spike, and gave a small smile at him. Then her eyes rolled up in their sockets and closed, and she toppled over. To Spike, it seemed that everything move in slow motion as she fell, landing in the scorched grass and going completely still.

**-**_**CHAPTER END**_**-**

Yeah, it turns out I was wrong when I said "one more to go" at the end of the previous chapter. NOW we have one more left to go. Stay tuned for the ending, coming within the next few days.


	4. End

Okay, NOW it's the finale. I promise I really mean it this time. This is the last chapter.

SEE PREVIOUS CHAPTERS FOR DISCLAIMERS

To those who disagree with the adding of a climactic fight scene with self-sacrificing stuff to a shipping fic, know this: I wracked my brain, and I honest-to-God COULD NOT COME UP WITH _**ANY **_OTHER WAY TO SET UP THE SPIKE/RARITY RECONCILIATION. I _TRIED_ AND I _**FAILED**_, AND THUS _**HAD**_ TO FALL BACK ON THE "SEMI-DARK EPIC BATTLE" OPTION. If _you _think you could come up with something better, by all means go ahead and write your own "Spike & Rarity have a nasty fight and later have a heartwarming reconciliation" fic.

**-**_**CHAPTER START**_**-**

**A few days later**

At first, there was blackness and silence. But after a few seconds, sound began to be picked up by her ears – a rhythmic beeping to her left. Touch came next, the feel of soft cotton beneath and atop her, and what could only be a pillow under her head with her mane loosely splayed out on it underneath her head, along with a warm weight further down. Slowly, she managed to open her eyes. Thankfully, the lights in whatever room she was in were off, so she didn't get that type of shock to her system. She managed to move her head to the left and right, identifying her surroundings as a hospital room. She felt something stir down near her hips, and saw Sweetie Belle lying curled up next to her. It was then that she remembered everything that had transpired, her breath catching in her throat.

"I'm… alive…?" she whispered out.

Sweetie Belle's ears twitched at this, and slowly she woke up and raised her head, eyes half-open. As the filly made eye contact and registered what she was seeing, her eyes shot open and she let out a shuddering gasp.

"S-Sis…" she choked out.

Before Rarity could say anything else, the little girl lunged forward, trapping her in a tight hug, burying her face in the young-adult mare's chest, and starting to cry. Slowly, she managed to get her forelimbs to come up and hold the girl. They stayed like that for a little while, before a middle-aged unicorn mare with pink fur and two-toned purple mane & tail barged in the room, having heard her youngest daughter crying and assumed the worst. Her fears were dashed upon seeing that her eldest was awake.

"Rarity!" she cried, running forward and embracing both of the girls. "Oh, thank Celestia! I thought I lost you!"

"How am I… still alive?" Rarity asked, her voice weak.

"Twilight Sparkle teleported in when you let out that huge pulse of magic," her mother explained, "and the others weren't far behind. Spike explained what happened. Honey, you burned out pretty much all of your life energy; you were dying. But your friends saved you thanks to Twilight casting an emergency spell that let her and the others each transfer some of their own life-force energy into you. It kept you alive long enough to get you to the emergency room, where all the doctors could really do was set you up and hope you had been given enough life-force to trigger your own to regenerate naturally. Everyone's been worried sick about you, dear. We had to actually cast sleep spells to get most of them to sleep at night, they've been so worried."

"How long have I been out?"

"Three days, dear. The doctors were saying that if you hadn't woken up by the end of today, chances were you never would. I almost lost you."

"I'm sorry for… worrying you all…"

"It's okay, honey. It's okay. …You're a hero, you know. Not just for saving Spike and his little girlfriend. Those demons were going to hit the town. That many of them… it would've been a slaughter. Twilight says that even she wouldn't have been able to take them out without demolishing the town in the process; her element affinity is fire, which… isn't exactly good for avoiding collateral damage. It's probably gonna be a while before Flutter Field is all fixed up, though."

"Sorry about that, mother. I'm assuming most of the damage is from my Desert Tsunami spell?"

"Twilight said she's never seen an Earth-based spell with such power."

"You're…" Sweetie Belle sniffled. "You're not gonna do that to yourself ever again, are you?"

"Unless someone I care about somehow gets themselves into a similar situation where I am their only hope for survival, no" Rarity replied. "Though maybe I should train to increase my non-life-energy reserves, just in case."

It was at this point that the sound of thundering hoof-falls could be heard outside, approaching the door. It opened, and Sweetie Belle and Rarity's mother both broke their hug just in time for Fluttershy to dive in and latch onto Rarity with all her might. Several others quickly filed in; Twilight, Applejack, Dash, and Pinkie quickly made it into a group hug, holding onto their revived friend for dear life.

"AJ!" Rarity squeaked out, forelimbs flailing. "Squeezing chest! Can't… breathe!"

"Oop! Sorry" Applejack sheepishly backed off a bit, adjusting her hold.

"What the hell did you think you were doing?-!" Dash said, the tears in her eyes and tone of her voice foiling her attempt to sound angry. "Why didn't you get one of us to help first?-!"

"There wasn't any time" Rarity replied. "If I hadn't acted right then & there, Spike and Silver Spoon would've been killed. And… after all I've done to him, I couldn't let that happen. I had to make amends… to protect him at any cost."

"You coulda sent up a signal flare spell or somethin'!" Dash said.

"Ease up, Rainbow" Applejack said. "Twi went over what happened, an' she says we wouldn't have noticed. Heck, even with all the landscape-shapin' spells she was slingin' about, we didn't notice anything until she let out that last pulse."

"I still can't quite believe how much has happened in the past week or so" Pinkie said, her mane & tail slowly, gradually poofing up as the worried sadness dwindled away. "Everything has happened so fast. The arguments, the misconceptions, the guilt breakdowns, the reconciliations, Spike & Silvie getting together, little Diamond Discording herself out of guilt and sadness…"

"Wait, _what_?" Rarity said at the last one.

"Don't worry, Silver Spoon brought her back" Sweetie Belle said.

"Yeah, and now I have to add another factor to my next multi-celebration party" Pinkie continued. "I gotta figure out how to add Rarity's recovery and saving the town to Diamond & Silvie's reconciliation, Spike & Silvie getting together, and Spike letting go of his misplaced anger at Rarity. Oh, and Mr. Cake's birthday is in a week, so I have to plan for that one, too. I guess that one can be separate, though."

"Is... Are Spike and Silver Spoon okay?" Rarity asked.

As if on cue, five sets of footsteps came racing in.

"Rarity!" the aforementioned two cried out in unison, practically leaping into the room. Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and the reformed Diamond Tiara walked in behind them. The group hug broke apart, letting Rarity see them unobstructed. The lead two promptly latched onto Rarity with their own hugs (Rarity wondered why Silver Spoon was hugging her, but then realized that saving the girl's life and that of her beloved probably had a hoof in that). She hugged them back, and after nearly a minute they broke apart.

"I'm sorry" Spike croaked out. "I never wanted any of this to happen. If… If we'd never had stupid fight…"

"…Then you wouldn't have met and gotten together with Silver Spoon," Rarity replied, "and I'd still be unaware of the awful things I'd done. It was painful for both of us, but it was also necessary, I believe."

"I still wish you didn't have to almost _die _for this to happen" Spike mumbled. Silver Spoon hugged him.

"I had no other option, I'm afraid" Rarity said.

"Twilight explained that to us already" Silver replied. "That doesn't make it any less hard to swallow."

"I know. And I'm sorry for putting you both through all this."

"So what happens now?" Diamond Tiara asked. "From what I've heard, the situation between you three is _really _complicated right now."

"One step at a time, kid" Rainbow Dash replied. "They got plenty of time to work things out."

"For now, let's let Rarity get her strength back" Twilight said. "She should be back in top form within about two weeks if she's recovered to this point already."

Rarity was about to say something, when she caught Fluttershy staring. She quirked an eyebrow at the yellow pegasus.

"Oh! I'm sorry. Um… It's just… You look nice with your mane down, Rarity."

Rarity blushed a little when Twilight, AJ, and Spike nodded in agreement.

"Well…" she said. "I guess I could try not putting it in curls once in a while…"

**-**_**SCENE BREAK**_**-**

**Two days later**

Twilight sat on a cushion in her library, having one last look at the multi-author Report she was about to have sent to Celestia.

"_Dear Princess Celestia,_

_The past week has been beyond eventful. Many important lessons have been learned by several individuals. Thus, this larger-than-normal report will have input from those many who have something to say._

_**Sp: **__I've learned, first off, that you shouldn't assume that someone's deliberately trying to hurt you if their actions can be better explained by accident, ignorance, or otherwise just not fully knowing what they're doing or saying. It can be hard to tell what others are feeling, and thus it can be easy to accidentally hurt someone else's feelings without meaning to or even knowing you did it. If you're unsure, it can be a good idea to give that other someone the benefit of the doubt. I've also learned that love can be both more fragile than glass, and more durable than treated steel. One slip-up can result in heartbreak, while at the same time the connections of love can be unbreakable. I also learned that love can come from unexpected places, but I'll leave that to my girlfriend._

_**DT: **__I've learned that if you retreat into yourself in response to pain or loneliness, you can lose sight of who you once were, and if you're not careful you can become a monster. Never allow yourself to lose sight of whatever light and hope and kindness is still in your heart, because if after that you lose your darkness and anger, there's nothing left inside your heart at all. I've also learned that, contrary to what I came to believe of myself, nopony is beyond redemption or saving. My own anger at the world made me into a monster, and it cost me my only friend. But now that part of me is gone, our friendship is mended and stronger than ever, I have new friends, and they're all helping me become a better pony than I was before. And for that I couldn't be more thankful._

_**SS: **__I've learned that love can come from the most unexpected places. You never know who you'll bump into one day. Love doesn't care about age, gender, or species. If two individuals mesh together just right, they can form a bond that not even the end of the Universe can sever. …I've also learned that it's important to forgive. Sometimes, someone can lose sight of themselves and cross lines that really shouldn't be crossed, but it's important to know that not everyone who does this is truly beyond hope. Sometimes, when someone wrongs you, it can be in everyone's best interest to forgive them, especially if they're having trouble forgiving themselves._

_**GT: **__I've learned… well, to be truthful, I've already known that it's important not to be too hard on yourself. Sometimes we make mistakes, and say or do things we shouldn't, and we regret it dearly. But it's important not to attack yourself too much over it. Never consider yourself beyond hope of redemption. If you give in, if you consider yourself beyond saving, guilt can completely and utterly destroy you. Nopony is all black or all white inside; everyone has their own shades of gray, their own flaws. Don't assume that if you're not pure you are wholly dirty. If you've wronged someone, don't despair and assume that things can never be right between you. Talk to them, explain yourself, make amends, ask for forgiveness… and don't forget to forgive yourself as well. …Also, if you are badly hurt emotionally by something, don't respond by completely shutting your heart away to avoid more pain; if you do that, you miss out on the chance to experience the __good__ things in life._

_**Rt: **__I have learned that one must be very careful to not let the selfish desires of one's subconscious gain control of one's conscious actions. I have also learned that it is frighteningly easy to hurt someone's feelings without meaning to or even being aware of having done so. But when that happens, one must still do whatever is necessary to apologize, make amends, and set things right. But be careful not to go too far; if your actions to make amends to whomever you have hurt result in too great a cost to yourself, you may cause that other individual more pain as their worry for you and guilt over your suffering for their sake eat at them._

_**TS: **__As you can see, a great many of your subjects have learned a great deal. I hope you approve of the lessons we have all learned. Yours truly,_

_Your Faithful Student's Assistant, Spike_

_Your Humbled Subject, Diamond Tiara_

_Your Humble Subject, Silver Spoon_

_Your Once-and-Still Servant and Friend, Golden Tiara_

_Your Penitent and Loyal Bearer of Generosity, Rarity Belle_

_Your Faithful Student, Twilight Sparkle_"

With a puff of enchanted green flame from Spike, the message was on its way.

**-**_**STORY END**_**-**

And that's a wrap! Cut, print! Good job, everypony!


End file.
